Feb 28, 2013

Hotel selection is crucial when planning any sort of
getaway, but especially one like BEA. Figure out what’s important to you
(location? amenities? price? size?) when you start looking. Research potential
hotels extensively. Check to see if they’ve had reports of bed bugs (ew, gross,
I know) or awful reviews. Keep in mind when reading these bad reviews, there is
always that person who likes to complain about everything. The hotel I picked
had a few awful reviews, but for each 1 bad there were 50 glowing.

Don't let tiny hotel rooms happen to you!

I picked a hotel that while not exactly near BEA is in
the middle of everything else in the city. I went with a hotel brand I trust
(Hampton Inn) and started from there. In also knew that while I would be going
to BEA, I wanted to do stuff in the city at night. My hotel was a 10 minute
walk from Times Square, 10 minutes from Central Park, 2 blocks from Rockefeller
Center, and a block of Restaurant Row with a subway station across the street.
Everything was easily walkable except BEA so I planned on taking a cab each
morning and the shuttle home.

The hotel also came with a continental breakfast each day
(one less meal to buy) and had 2 queen sized beds in a very decent size room.
If you’re not familiar, NYC hotel rooms are little more than CrackerJack boxes
with a toilet and TV. They’re tiny, but I made sure to get the best room
possible because I was bringing people with me who weren’t going to BEA (I know—I
hang out with some crazy people). Because I loved it so much, I’m staying in
the same hotel again.

If you’re on a budget, stay at one of the hotels BEA is
affiliated with for a cheaper rate.

2. Shipping wars

So you got all these pretty books … now what? You have a
couple options for shipping. There’s a UPS and FedEx kiosks set up inside the
Javits for your convenience. You don’t even have to leave the building to ship!

I believe it’s FedEx that lets you set up a box and make
drops in it throughout the day. So you get your box and fill it all day long
with goodies to send home in lieu of a suitcase, but these boxes are not monitored and many have had things
taken from inside them. Not all, but some.

Yes, UPS and FedEx are easy, but you pay for the added
convenience. It’s crazy expensive. I recommend hitting up the nearest Post
Office and shipping media mail. Much cheaper. If you want to save a few bucks,
brings your own packing tape from home. I hear there is a massive post office a
few blocks over from the Javits (like a 10 minute walk?) that you can use, but
check out where other locations are.

I lucked out and my hotel had a PO on the same block, so
I took the shuttle back to the hotel and just walked around the corner and
shipped my books home daily. Kept me from lugging my books all around NYC. My
suitcase and shoulders thanked me.

Make sure to add in money for shipping when you budget.
Unless you’re one of the people who drive and can load your car. Also keep in mind the last day of BEA is a
Saturday and some PO branches have different hours.

I added delivery confirmation to all my stuff so I knew when to expect it. I may have lost half of those slips (be quiet, Mariah), but I vow to protect them with my life so I know when I can expect my lovely gifts in the mail and I may celebrate.

3. Know your
surroundings

I know NYC is hailed at the safest big city in the world,
and it is, but make sure you know
what you’re doing and where you’re going. Try to stay with a buddy or a group
when venturing out into the city. When you leave BEA, take that pass off so
people can’t read your name or see you’ve been to event that makes them wonder
what exactly is in that bag you’re lugging around like it contains diamonds?

Most hotels (all hotels?) have a map of the city
available. Once you figure out the streets and avenues, it’s near impossible to
get lost. Don’t be afraid to take the subway, taxis, or walk, but be careful
and go with your gut. I hate to go all elementary school on you, but use the
buddy system. Be smart.

4. The party don’t
stop with BEA

When making your BEA schedule, make sure you make a Post-BEA schedule as well. A lot of
stuff in NYC focuses on books the week of BEA. There are additional signings at
night, publishers throw parties (most of the these are invite only, sorry), bloggers plan dinners … Make sure you do
your homework and see if you can attend some events other than BEA.

Closer to BEA I’ll do a post focused on other events going
on that week because Lord knows there’s a lot of them. And if you score an
invite to a swanky party? I’ll totally be your plus one.

5. Budget

I know. It’s an utterly evil word, but BEA is an
expensive trip to an expensive city. Make a budget and stick with it. Start
planning now how much spending money you want to allot yourself for fun,
utterly frivolous things (and trust me—you want to have a couple frivolous
things).

If you think you may want to see a show, check out TKST
in Times Square. They have a ton of deeply discounted Broadway show tickets for
the day of ridiculously cheap. Why spend $65 when you can spend $30 on a
ticket?

Talk to native New Yorkers (there are a ton of authors
and bloggers who would be willing to help you out here) and find an
inexpensive, but awesome, place to
eat. Email, tweet, or facebook them for suggestions.

6. Books are
great, but living is greater

It’s easy to get so consumed by BEA and books and
signings and parties and authors while you’re there, but NYC is an amazing city
unto itself. There is so much history and culture and energy that you do
yourself such a disservice by sticking your head in a book all week, especially
if you’ve never been.

Hit the 9/11 Memorial. It’s free and so iconic and humbling. On your way back, walk further up
to the subway and stop into Century 21 for some awesome discount shopping (I
got a box set of a designer perfume for $19 that at home would’ve cost $50—and
no, it’s not a knockoff). Hit Chinatown
and Little Italy. Go to Serendipity for a frozen hot chocolate (make sure you
have a reservation). Go to The Rock—the
top of Rockefeller Center which has a much better view and is much more
reasonably priced than the Empire State Building. Here’s the thing about the
Empire State Building, when you go to the top to take that breathtaking picture
of the NYC skyline, you’re missing the
Empire State Building in the pic. People know the skyline because of that
building. Go to the Rock and take a pic of the Empire State Building.

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is
the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the
Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she
needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her
left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please
God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The
one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of
the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy
hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to
make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows
she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his
charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting
involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that
sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a
side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone
calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no other choice
but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that
night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she
resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or
will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

Review:

Let
it first be known that am I a huge
Jennifer Armentrout fan. One of the things I love most about her writing is the
steamy scenes she often depicts between characters I adore. However, Armentrout
is a YA writer and has to toe a fine line. As J. Lynn, she breaks through those
barriers (no pun in intended) and explodes onto the scene.

Maybe
I need a better metaphor. Huh.

New
adult is my new favorite genre, and having one of my favorite authors writing a
book in my new favorite genre was kismet. I was not disappointed. The book is
filled with tender moments, scenes steamy enough to make my glasses fog up, and
characters I loved loving.

Avery
is one of those characters you just like.
She has been abused and broken, but it still surviving. While you can guess
what happened to her pretty easily (although Lynn throws a twist in here that
both shocked and horrified me), it doesn’t lessen the beauty of watching this girl
come alive and find herself. Avery is a fantastic character—she strong, but
also fragile. She’s a perfect blend of opposites without being cliché.

Cam
is another amazing character. I think part of why I liked Cam so much is while
he was 100% supportive of Avery, he also wasn’t a doormat. He was forgiving,
but he also didn’t put up with being jerked around and called her on it when
she was wrong.

There
are a few typos in the book, a downfall to a lot of self-published works, but
J. Lynn’s work speaks for itself. It’s very easy to overlook the wrong use of
their/there/they’re when the story is moving along so nicely and you’re so
invested in the characters. Overall this was a fantastic book (like I would
expect less from this author), and I really hope she continues the story. Not
necessarily with Cam and Avery, but there are a lot of characters she
introduced that I hope I haven’t seen the end of.

Rock star drummer Bishop Riley doesn't have a problem. Celebrities—especially ones suffering from anxiety—deserve to party, right? Wrong. After taking a few too many pills, Bishop wakes up in the hospital facing an intervention. If he wants to stay in the band, he’ll have to detox while under house arrest in Seldon, Alaska.

Hockey player Penny Jones can't imagine a life outside of Seldon. Though she has tons of scholarship offers, the last thing she wants is to leave. Who'll take care of her absent-minded gramps? Not her mother, who can’t even be bothered with the new tenants next door.

Penny’s too hung up on another guy to deal with Bishop’s crappy attitude, and Bishop’s too busysneaking pills to care. Until he starts hanging out with Gramps. If Bishop wants a chance with the fiery girl next door, he’ll have to admit he has a problem and kick it. Too bad addiction is hard to kick…and Bishop’s about to run out of time.

by: Debbie LevySummary:Danielle Samuelson's summer job as a babysitter takes a tragic turn when Humphrey, the five-year-old boy she's watching, runs in front of oncoming traffic to chase down his football. Immediately Danielle is caught up in the machinery of tragedy: police investigations, neighborhood squabbling, and, when the driver of the car that struck Humphrey turns out to be an undocumented alien, outsiders use the accident to further a politically charged immigration debate. Wanting only to mourn Humphrey, the sweet kid she had a surprisingly strong friendship with, Danielle tries to avoid the world around her. Through a new relationship with Justin, a boy she meets at the park, she begins to work through her grief, but as details of the accident emerge, much is not as it seems. It's time for Danielle to face reality, but when the truth brings so much pain, can she find a way to do right by Humphrey's memory and forgive herself for his death?Why I Want It:Sometimes I just need a good, emotionally gut-wrenching book. It sounds like this book will be perfect for that. I love books that can make me feel; books that can touch me so much as to force a physical reaction (crying, laughing, cursing, etc.), and it seems like Imperfect Spiral will make me have a lot of feels.

Feb 26, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun!

Top Ten Eleven Authors That I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List (basically an auto-buy list is no questions asked..you love this author so much that no matter what they wrote next you'd buy regardless of genre or subject matter)*Yes, I'm cheating by adding 11, but I couldn't make it just 10*

Kasie West

1.) Kasie West - It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Kasie's ... even though she's only written one book. But when you love and author, you just do. It's in your gut. I cannot wait to get my hands on her contemporary she has coming out this year, The Distance Between Us. It sounds nothing like Pivot Point - but I don't care. I'll buy anything Kasie writes forever.2.) Andrea Cremer - I'll admit, my adoration of Andrea suffered at the end of Bloodrose, but bottom line, she is a phenomenal storyteller. I own everything she's written and I don't see that changing. She has several novels coming out this year and I plan to buy each of them.

Cara Lynn Shultz

3.) Cara Lynn Shultz - Another author I absolutely adore not only for her writing but because she's someone I'd love to grab a drink with. She only has 2 books out (why are there only two books?!) but they are two of my all-time favorite novels. Ever.4.) Aimee Carter - I love the way Aimee tells a story. I love her pacing, character development and dialogue. The Goddess Test series is a favorite of mine, and I am so, so excited to see what she has in store with her new series that debuts later this year.5.) Kiera Cass - I knew I would love Kiera forever when she not only met my expectations for The Selection but then proceeded to raise the bar higher in The Elite. Mind = BLOWN. Any author that can make the sequel better than the original gets my vote.

Jennifer Armentrout

6.) Jennifer Armentrout - I've happily read everything Jennifer has written, both as Jennifer Armentrout and J. Lynn. I read her YA series', her adult series', standalones ... You name it and I will read it. She has such a gift for original plots as well as unique, memorable, and HOT characters. She's written some of the steamiest scenes I've come across.7.) Miranda Kenneally - Miranda has some of the best characters I've ever read in any book genre. Her plots are unique, original, and utterly romantic. I am completely in love with her Hundred Oaks series, and I will happily read whatever she puts out. Even a book on the migratory pattern of herons. 8.) Richelle Mead - There is something about Richelle is just love. Maybe it's that while she writes YA, I never feel like she talks down to the reader or dumbs things down for the younger generation. Her writing has an intelligence that my mind craves.9.) Veronica Rossi - Veronica is another author who I respect immensely for her originality and creativity. In a world full of YA dystopians she did was few did - she set herself apart. She made characters I fell hard and fast for. Did I mention she also gave my niece, Aria, a shoutout when she was born?

Sarah Skilton

10.) Sarah Skilton - Sarah is one of those authors I just click with. She's a total sweetheart and, oh yeah, an amazing writer. Her debut completely blew me away. The way she writes is so evoactive and visceral. Her books make me feel - I laugh outloud, I cry, I grin ... Is there anything better than an author that elicites a physical reaction from a reader?11.) Brigid Kemmerer - Brigid is one of those people that while I love her for her awesome writing skills (and that amazing ability she has to put 5 hot guys into one novel repeatedly), she just seems like a totally cool person outside of writing. She's cool and fun and she infuses all that awesomesauce into her writing. How could I not want all of her books?

Olivia finds bliss
unlike any she’s ever known in Cash’s arms. He sets her skin on fire and melts
her heart right inside her chest. Unfortunately, their happily ever after is
short-lived when a shadow from Cash’s past threatens to turn their world upside
down.

Dangerous people
from his father’s world have discovered that Cash holds information that could
put them away for a very long time. And they’re willing to do anything—and hurt
anybody—to get it back. Giving it up means Cash must choose between the life of
his father and the life of Olivia.

Having nearly
overcome her wariness of bad boys, Olivia’s trust is shaken when this new
threat arises. Now she finds that Cash is not only a danger to her heart, but
his family has associations that are a danger to her life as well. She soon
discovers that there are some situations in life where trust is a girl’s only
option. And this is one of them. If she’s to live, she must trust Cash with her
life. But to Olivia, that’s much, much easier than letting go and trusting him
with her heart.

Review:

You
know when you read a book that has quite a few flaws, but you just love it to
pieces anyway? M. Leighton’s Up to Me
is that book. I knew while reading it there were problems (characters behaving
badly, cliché lines, and cheesy dialogue at times), but Leighton has this way
to writing that makes me not care all that much.

This
is the second book in the series and it continues with Cash and Olivia right
where book 1 left off. I’m glad there wasn’t a big time jump or anything else
to get acclimated to—the stories flow effortlessly into one another. I hate
feeling like I missed time with characters I love, and Leighton does the series
a great service by not doing that.

The
plot moves along nicely, and this isn’t an overwhelming read. I was able to finish
it in a few hours. There are several twists, one especially including Nash
(Cash’s twin) that I was stunned by. It makes me even more excited for book 3.

This
series definitely pushes the edge from new adult into the adult genre. There
are a lot of steamy situations that (as an adult) I have come to enjoy about
new adult novels, but it’s still not as explicit as it could be. I wouldn’t
recommend this book for younger teens at all. Like I said, there are issues,
but I was personally able to overlook them and indulge in this sinfully guilty
pleasure.

Two sisters, bound by impossible choices, are determined to protect each
other—no matter the cost.

James's frozen face
melts into a smile. "Do you want to know the trick to getting in trouble
under the watchful eye of a psychic?"

I think of the
nailed-shut windows. I think of Clarice. I think of the two, the two, the two
who are now zero. Tap tap. "Yes, I absolutely do."

"Don't plan
it. Don't even think about it. The second you get an inkling of what you could
do, do it then. Never plan anything ahead of time. Always go on pure instinct."

I smile. "I
think I can do that.”

Review:

Can
I just say I love Kiersten White? I mean, seriously. Thank you, Kiersten, for
writing a novel with an original plot, intriguing characters, and a whole lot
of action. Mind Games felt like such
a cool break from everything else I’ve been reading lately. I read a ton and
sometimes I get so bogged down with reading and reviewing that things start to
run together. Mind Games stood out
from the first chapter, and I love crawling back into this story.

I’m
a romantic at heart and the love story told here worked my heart over good. No I’m not talking about Fia and
James (yeah, I love these two), I mean the love between Fia and Annie. This story
is very much the story of two girl who love each other and are willing to risk
anything and everything for each other. While Fia may technically be the
younger of the two, she comes off as the big sister because of Annie’s
blindness and the role she has assumed to protect her sister. I love these two
girls to pieces. Usually a book (especially a young adult novel) needs a
romance to spark attention, but the heart of the story here is Fia and Annie.
Anyone who has a sister knows it is a bond like no other. I would take a bullet
for my sisters, and reading about Fia and Annie only strengthened that resolve.

The
story alternates perspective between the sisters, and I loved that. Because
these are two vastly different characters, it was essential to be able to get
into both of their heads and see how they ticked. I will say I’m a bit more
partial to Fia, but don’t discount Annie. I can’t wait to see how both of these
characters grow in future books.

I
was pretty surprised at how quick I blazed through Mind Games it isn’t a very lengthy read and at times I wished some
things had been elaborated on a bit more, but White maintains a quick, brisk
pace that really drives the plot and kept me entranced. This is definitely a
book action and SciFi fans need to grab ASAP. I hear White has another series …
Paranormalcy? Think I’ll check that
out while wait for book 2. If it’s half as good as Mind Games then I know I’ll be thoroughly entertained.

Feb 21, 2013

I cannot believe it's been 2 years since I started The Irish Banana Review. Two years. Those two years have held so much personal and professional growth for me, it's amazing to think of where I was and where I am. It also makes me think of all the new blogs popping up daily. It also made me think about things I've learned the last 2 years, so here they are, in a somewhat condensed form:The Myth of Why We BlogThis is the point where I should say I got into blogging because I love spreading the word about books and I just love being immersed in literature, right? I'm going to say what few bloggers will admit to, but I suspect we all felt at one point in time:I wanted the free books.

I had heard about these amazing things called ARCs and heard publishers gave them to bloggers. Like, for free. Sometimes? You even got finished copies for (again) free. I am fully admitted that two years ago I jumped on the blogging bandwagon because I was a girl with limited finances and a big book love and the allure of free books sold me.However, the truth is, bloggers who are in it just for the free books don't last long, and I was no exception. If you look at my first year, around April I got tired and frustrated. I stopped posting, I quit caring, and my blog was about to be one of those blogs that just fizzled away into cyberspace. After a couple months of dragging my feet, I came to the moment where I realized I had a decision to make: Either I was in or out, no more half-assing it and expecting people to magically adore me and my blog. If I wanted it, I needed to be willing to work for it. So I did. I started reaching out into the blogging world and I met some amazing people who encouraged me and kept me going. And yes, eventually I did start getting those "free" books I had to desperately desired in the beginning, but by that point they were icing on the cake. I was having a blast discovering books I probably never would have heard about or read had it not been for blogging. I loved the times when my friends and family would ask me for book recommendations. I loved spreading the word about a book or author I had fallen in love with.The Myth of the Friendly BloggerWhen I started blogging all I heard about was how friendly and open the blogging community was. This was a group of people (mostly girls) who loved to giggle and talk about books and book boyfriends and cupcakes and - Yeah, you're not buying it either, huh?

The truth is I quickly found blogging was like any other social order with its own cliques. There were bloggers who had been at this for years - well before anyone really knew what book blogging was and they didn't particularly care for the 100 new blogs popping up daily. You had librarians who resented bloggers period. You had newbie bloggers tripping over each other every day (several of whom had the same blog name) ... It was exhausting and it took me forever to find a niche in this world.After two years, I can honestly say I have made some awesome friends. I've found a group of bloggers that I have become friends with both online and offline. These are people I have met in real life and text daily. People that when I say I'm having an off day actually care about why that is. I love these people, and it's such a great feeling knowing they feel the same way.The Myth of PerfectionI wanted to be that perfect, elegant blogger from the beginning. I strived to make my blog be everything I thought it should be: My reviews were flowery and filled with adjectives, I kept everything straight and neat and organized. I spent close to a year trying to be the blogger I thought everyone else would enjoy.And then I realized that I was hurting my blog by not being me. I started writing reviews the same way I would verbally tell you a review if we were face-to-face. I started adding pictures and discussion posts to my blog about things I cared about, and you know what? Turns out other people cared about them, too.My blog may have a few typos, and may SQUEEEEEE!!!!! during a review, but that's me. It's who I am, and my blog stats improved dramatically when I started being myself.So there you have it, my friends: Things I've learned since I started blogging 2 years ago. Now, it HAS been a fun two years, and what better way to celebrate that than with .... A funny cat GIF:

OK, and a giveaway. Open internationally so all of my followers can participate. I love you guys. Thank you so much.

by: Sherry ThomasSummary:It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to revenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.Why I Want It:I'm sorry, do you not see that cover? I know: totally shallow to judge a book by its cover, but that cover grabbed my attention right away. Not only that, but I love the originality of the plot. Plus it sounds like this will be one hot romance. Count me in!Also? The excerpt that Sherry Thomas has up on her blog totally sells this book:The Burning Sky Excerpt

Feb 19, 2013

There has been such a rash release of new covers lately that are beyond gorgeous (seriously, the art departments are working overtime here, guys), but I'm utterly amazed and amused at how almost every color is blue.Did I miss something where blue is the new trend?

Feb 17, 2013

Remember that scene in The Hunger Games when everyone bum rushes the cornucopia,
brandishing weapons and… No, just kidding.

7 am is the magic time. Usually around 7, a line to get
into the exhibit hall floor starts. 7 is also when you can check a suitcase/bag
with the awesome ladies on the lower level to stash books and whatnot in you
acquire. This is also the time you can get your badge for BEA (although I
recommend getting it the day before if at all possible). After you line up, you
wait. You don’t have to get there at 7. You can wait until 9 when the doors
open, but keep in mind all the people who lined up get to go in before you.

You also may want to show up early if you need to get a
ticket for a certain signing. Tickets are free place markers for signings that
the peeps at BEA think will draw a huge crowd; these are usually celebrities or
big name authors. Again, tickets are free, but limited.

Doors open and everyone floods inside, mass pandemonium
ensues for about 10-15 minutes, then people mellow and you walk around. You can
line up for signings, chat up the people in the booths, etc. Everyone said last
year was pretty mellow compared to previous years and last year is all I have
to go on. Hopefully 2013 will be just as cool.

2. Free books?!

Yes, there are “free” books. Keep in mind these books are
not free to the people publishing them. ARCs actually cost about twice as much
as a regular book to print. The idea is if you take this book you will review
it, tell your family and friends about it, and help promote it. Don’t go nutty
and just grab, grab, grab.

Look, I get it.
I’m one of those people that have a hard time saying no to free things. People
could offer me a free Diet Coke and I’d say yes … even though I have a deep
abhorrence of Diet Coke. I always justify it saying I can use it later or
someone else can! Free is hard for me, and it kinda got me in trouble the first
day last year. By noon I had filled my suitcase with things I had to have.

Bull. OK? Bull crap. I got greedy and carried away. I
inventoried my bag and got rid of the shiny things I knew I would never read or
use and set them in a stack on the side for someone else to grab. I think they
were gone when I came back a few hours later and hopefully found a good home.

Don’t be greedy. Take what you can realistically read. If
you’re a person who reads 15 books a year, don’t grab 78. Unless you don’t plan
on going back to BEA or a bookstore for another 4 years and this is your last
shot to get enough reading material to carry you through. If that’s the case?
Carry on, my friend.

3. The taking of
multiple copies (AKA How to get death glares at BEA):

Lemme tell you a story about while I was at BEA in 2012.

I’m sitting in line the last day of the expo, waiting to
get into BEA, and I overhear these five girls (women) making a game plan about
who was grabbing which book at which booth when the doors opened. I immediately
got pissed, thinking, These chicks are
going to each grab five copies of a book for each other? That’s so messed up.
I was irritated and may have rolled my eyes and I may have been totally WRONG.

The fact of the matter is, I was plain old jealous I didn’t have a group of people
that would enable me to essentially be in 5 places at the same time. I know
some of you are shaking your heads right now, thinking that these women were
just being bad examples of people at BEA, but chill out a sec before you start
unfollowing or defriending me and think this through:

Did these girls really do anything wrong? They all paid to be there. They had as much a
right to be there as I did and they had a right to the same books I did. It
just happened to work out that they could divide and conquer (such a nasty
metaphor, but appropriate). It’s not like they were getting multiple copies of
the same book to go home and swap for other books or using them as giveaway
books while keeping a copy for themselves. BTW? We all saw the posts go up on Goodreads the night of BEA from people who wanted to swap titles they got that
day for books not going to be there. So not cool. These books aren’t bargaining
chips.

Wanna know a secret? I sometimes grabbed more than one
copy of the same book … because I went with a friend and I gave her the second
copy. There was no need for us both to get trampled in the morning, so I might
go get us a book while she stood off to the side and waited. Or one of us held
a spot in line while the other went to a galley drop for something we really
wanted. At one point, I saw a girl who was barely five feet tall and maybe 95
pounds soaking wet getting constantly pushed to the back of the crowd for a
book she really wanted so I went and got her a copy and then immediately handed
a copy to her and my friend. So if you were in that crush with me it looked
like I snagged 3 copies of the same title … But I didn’t. And I know for a fact
I wasn’t the only one who did that.

My point is, give people the benefit of the doubt. Unless
you have a badge that says: BOOKEXPO AMERICA POLICE, I don’t want to see you
griping about people grabbing multiples. It just makes you sound petty and
jealous and whiny. There are still hundreds of books for you to grab, and that
book that you missed out on will be published one day. You can get a copy then.
Or chat up one of the nice publicists and see if they will be dropping more
copies later. Some publicists will take your card and mail you one.

On the flip side, if you do buddy up with a group to “divide and conquer”, then keep it
simple. Don’t think you can have a group of 20 who each get a different book and
no one will stop you when you load three totes full of the same title. Snag a
copy or two for your buddies holding your spot in line or whatever. I honestly
don’t see the harm in that, but use discretion and mind your own business.

4. Walk It or Move
It.

One of the things that irritates me in everyday life is
people who walk insanely slow or just stop in the middle of an aisle. The
exhibit hall floor is insanely packed and there is just no room for people to
congregate in groups of four or more to shoot the breeze—at least not in the
aisles. Move it to the side, guys. The floor is not the place for a Sunday
stroll with your bestie.

This is good advice for NYC, too. If it’s your first (or
second) time to the Big Apple, I get wanting to stop and take pictures or get
your bearings with a map … But you will get mowed down, my friend, if you stop
in the middle of the street. And people may curse at you or pushing you into
oncoming traffic.

5. Be polite,
respectful, and understanding at all times.

Fact is, BEA is as crowded as WalMart on Black Friday.
Difference is, most people dress a little bit nicer and we all love books.

You are going to inevitably step on someone’s toes and
have your toes stomped on by a random stranger. You will be pushed, jostled,
and knocked around like a bumper car driven by a ten year old on a sugar high.
Accept it and go with it.

I apologized more in 3 days than I did all year, and that
went both ways. If you’re someone who deeply values personal space and your 3
foot bubble, please reconsider coming here. You will be surrounded by people
wielding overstuffed bags that bang into you repeatedly while they
simultaneously step on your swollen feet and push you into a wall. They won’t
mean to, but you may come home with some pretty bruises to match the books you
get.

6. Understand that
there are people who are working.

It’s easy to forget that not everyone at BEA is in the
city for vacation. The people manning those publisher booths aren’t there on
holiday—they are there doing their job. Don’t disrespect them by interfering or
assuming they owe you anything.

If you try chatting up a publicist and find them in a
less than cordial mood, remember that they were nearly trampled to death when
the doors open and have had a million people demanded or asking books from them
all day. Try grabbing one when it’s the end of the day and things are winding
down. Or let your favorite publicist know you’ll be at BEA and ask if you can
meet up.

7. Signings!

Yes, there are a ton
of signings at BEA. You get to meet those authors you’ve been stalking
admiring for years. But what if you already bought a copy of the book they’re
signing?

You have a decision to make: Get the new copy signed or
miss it. Honestly, I would get the signed copy (especially if it’s an author I
really want to meet) and then donate or give away the extra copy at home. There
is always something you can do with an extra book.

Keep in mind a lot of signings line up well in advance,
so plan accordingly. It’s not at all surprising for lines to start forming 45
minutes to an hour before a signing starts.

8. The dropping of
the galleys.

You may have heard the term “galley drop” by now. A
galley drop is something publishers do when they (you guessed it) drop a pile
of galleys. They can be ARCs, finished copies … There can be one or several
titles dropped at a time.

The first set is when the doors open. Most publishers
have a few stacks of upcoming titles laying around in massive piles. You will
see people grabbing these like they’re freshly minted Benjamins.

Publishers also drop galleys at specific times of the
day. Some will give you a schedule of when these drops will occur, others
won’t. This is when you should make sure your phone is charged and your social
media apps up to date. People will tweet when they see a drop.

There are also varying ways I saw for getting galleys.
Most put a stack out on the floor and let people have at it. I believe
HarperCollins made people line up and handed out copies one by one (this also
kept people from grabbing multiple copies). Ask someone working the booth if
they have a galley drop schedule, or if there’s a specific title you want, ask
if they can tell you when it will be available.

9. No butts!

When you see a massive line formed for an author you
really want (Dark Days signing or Harlequin Teen Hour, anyone?) and you see
your friend standing at the front, don’t go up and start talking to score
yourself a spot in line. Get behind the other 150 people like a good little
book addict.

On the other hand, do
not freak out if some people get in line with the girl/guy standing two in
front of you. This happened the first day last year when a group of my friends
and I lined up for the Andrea Cremer signing. We were literally the first 7
people to line up … 90 minutes before the signing. During these 90 minutes, we
traded off holding spots for each other so we could drop books off in our
suitcases, walk around, and go to the bathroom. Twenty minutes before the
signing we all came back and stood together when someone three or four people
back had an attack of the bitchies and starting whining about us butting.

No, honey, we didn’t butt.
We saved each other’s places. Don’t be mad because you stood in line the whole
time and didn’t ask anyone save your spot so you could go potty. But you know
what? Had you asked, we gladly would have saved your spot as well if you wanted
to walk around a bit. I happily held places in lines for people who were
winging it solo but needed to run to the bathroom or wanted to walk around
while waiting in line. You’re in line for an hour, so make friends with the
people around you and ask them to save your spot while you do a couple things.

This is why you don’t need to blow a gasket when you see
people get into line ahead of you. They may have been there the whole time.
Again … you look silly and childish for whining about someone cutting the line,
especially when that person had every right to the spot they claimed.

You’ll drive yourself crazy if you try to police all the
bad, rude or unprofessional behavior you see. This is doubly true for bloggers.
It’s not secret we frequently get a bad rap at events, but we bring it on
ourselves. I’m not saying people won’t genuinely cut a line or do some
ridiculous things, but try to be gracious, kind, and courteous. Take the high
road when given the opportunity.

9. Lines?

You will see lines everywhere
in BEA. They will wind up and down aisles, through booths, blocking aisles, and
some of them will tangle together worse than Rapunzel’s hair. If there is a
signing you really want to hit, get there at least an hour in advance if you
want to be up front. If it’s a group (like HarperCollins did with the Dark Days
authors or Harlequin does with their authors having 4-5 signing at a time) you
may need to allot more time. People starting lining up for the Dark Days
signing 2 hours in advance. I lined up more than 90 minutes before and was still #68 in line.

It’s kind of cool to start a line, I’ll admit. At one
point my friend was waiting for a signing to begin at the Penguin booth and the
publicist asked her if she wanted to start the line, so my friend wound up
holding a sign for the signing that she was waiting for and directing other
people to the line for the signing currently going on. Everyone thought she
worked there and kept coming up asking her questions. It was all rather
amusing.

Accept you will spend the majority of your days in line.
You wait to get in to BEA. You wait in lines for signings, finish, and then run
to the next line. It’s a rather exhausting process. Kill time by chatting up
people in your line.

10. It’s OK to
say, “No, thank you.”

I thought it was a myth that people would literally shove
books into your hands, but was I ever wrong. However, a lot of books being
pushed at me were ones I knew I would never read or review. It’s absolutely all
right to tell someone “No” as long as you do it politely. Don’t think you have
to take everything you see. Remember what I said about being greedy?

Plus, you’re taking a book away from someone who might
have really enjoyed it. There are limited copies available of each title.

11. Business
cards!

Business cards are a must.
I will admit I didn’t pass out nearly as many as I could have. I met a lot of
awesome people in a short amount of time and I know they met just as many people. This is not just publicists and authors—fellow bloggers! Passing cards out and getting them back was a great way to keep track of people I met. When I got home I made sure to check into each blog I had a card for and follow
them. I’ve met some insanely cool people at BEA and this helped me keep track
of them (hey, Jenny!). Don’t be afraid to say, “Here’s my card!” even if you
don’t get a card back. Put your name and your blog’s name in as many minds as possible.

12. Plan for your
plan to fail.

I had so much fun making a game plan of which signings I
was going to go to at what time. I mean, I planned for weeks before BEA and that plan evolved and changed at least a dozen
times … And I might have hit half of those events/signings/meetings I planned.

Expect that things will get crazy and you simply can’t do
everything you want, meet everyone you want to meet, or get all the books you
want. You will drive yourself crazy trying to. I don’t want to walk by and see
you in the fetal position, clutching schedules and crying about missed
opportunities.

Have fun and go with it. Don’t get so bogged down with
planning that you forget the awesome spontaneity that comes from being in the wrong
place at the right time and meeting a really cool author or finding a friend
you’ve only every known online. Enjoy the experience.